A Christian evangelical group has failed in an attempt to brand the controversial musical Jerry Springer – the Opera as legally blasphemous.

In a High Court ruling, two judges refused the group Christian Voice permission to prosecute theatre producer Jonathan Thoday and Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC who aired the musical in 2005.

Christian Voice, one of the Christian pressure groups who attempted to prevent the U.K. touring version of the show, had described the musical as "offensive, spiteful, systematic mockery and wilful denigration of Christian belief."

In the ruling judges Lord Justice Hughes and Mr. Justice Collins said, "As a whole [Jerry Springer – the Opera] was not and could not reasonably be regarded as aimed at, or an attack on, Christianity or what Christians held sacred."

NYC finally sees a concert version of it in January, at Carnegie Hall.